Thomas appeared before a court in Florida on Friday night, accused of hoarding a stash of illegal material, including photos of himself with naked young girls
Meghan Markle hopes for “justice” after her estranged dad was charged with possessing child abuse images. The Duchess of Sussex, 45, is hoping for a “full investigation” into Thomas Markle, a close friend said.
Thomas appeared before a court in Florida on Friday night after being arrested a care home where he was living. He is accused of hoarding a stash of illegal material, including photos of himself with naked young girls.
A close friend of the Duchess, who has kept her distance from her dad and not let have contact with her children, said: “It is her sincerest hope that a full and thorough investigation will now help deliver justice for the victims.”
Thomas was arrested on Friday as FBI agents sensationally swooped on a specialist dementia care facility where he was staying in Tampa, Florida. He later appeared in court where charges were put to him.
The bombshell arrest came after the dozens of items were seized from two Los Angeles storage units he rented for nearly two decades. He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography.
Photographs taken at the scene show him being pushed in a wheelchair by one FBI agent and flanked by two others, including one who was carrying a clear bag containing folders.
He came under investigation after he was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month by his son, Thomas Markle Jr, who allegedly found illegal images in his father’s belongings in Cebu City.
Mr Markle Jr told a newspaper he had tipped off the authorities about the LA storage facilities. Acting on warrants, the FBI searched the units which had been registered to Markle Sr since 2008, with his most recent payments on both made last month by auto-pay.
Inside agents seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books that contained suspected child sex abuse material. Two of the images allegedly depict an adult man – whom a witness “positively identified” as Markle – with a nude young girl.
US agents revealed that a man identified as Markle Snr was seemingly pictured on 35mm film negatives abusing pre-pubescent girls. Meghan and husband Prince Harry, 42, were told of the findings.
It comes after it emerged Meghan knew of claims made about her father in warning letters sent to UK cops by Markle Sr’s first wife Roslyn Loveless.
She pleaded with royal protection cops shielding Prince Harry and Meghan to act, warning that her ex-husband made trips to the Philippines and Thailand to sate his lust for young girls.
The Met Police, which is said to have “lost” the warning letter, referred itself to watchdogs over a failure to act in 2019. Ms Loveless divorced Markle Snr in 1975 and died in 2024.
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said : “Mr Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls.“
Prosecutors added that he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.